All News & Analysis

Sig Stats: Pass Rushing Productivity

Sig-Stats-PRP-111214We always like to look at the full picture. It’s why that pesky sack stat can annoy and frustrate. Sure sometimes it’s indicative of the body of work a pass rusher puts out, but it can also be misleading.

So for those interested in a more comprehensive stat, we created the PFF Pass Rushing Productivity signature stat. A look at how much pressure a player gets relative to how much they rush the passer. Now we’ll maintain it’s a secondary stat, that doesn’t go as far as our grades that can add a level of context to the pressure obtained (how quickly was a man beaten for the disruption, if a man was beaten at all, for example), but it’s a good starting point.

(Note: for the purposes here we’re looking at all pass rushers with at least 150 snaps rushing the passer).

At the top of the charts? Well, step forward Justin Houston. The Kansas City Chiefs' superstar is playing himself into either a big deal or franchise tag come the end of the year with another fantastic season. He’s rushed the passer 240 times and turned that into an excellent 46 combined sacks, hits and hurries.

That name won’t be overly surprising, but the second spot will be. Former Broncos defensive linemen Robert Ayers has been a revelation since making the switch to the New York Giants, turning a backup end role come sub-package tackle role into phenomenal production. That he’s able to push J.J. Watt into third is a testament to how he has made full use of the snaps given to him.

Top 15 Pass Rushers

# Name Team Pass Rush Snaps Total Pressure PRP
1  Justin Houston KC 240 46 15.7
2  Robert Ayers NYG 174 34 15.4
3  J.J. Watt HST 341 61 14.1
4  Connor Barwin PHI 202 33 13.6
5  Von Miller DEN 297 50 13.5
6  Pernell McPhee BLT 215 37 13.4
7  Cameron Wake MIA 262 43 13.2
8  Ezekiel Ansah DET 210 32 12.4
9  Junior Galette NO 260 40 12.1
10  Ryan Kerrigan WAS 263 40 12.1
11  Cliff Avril SEA 248 38 11.7
12  Trent Cole PHI 229 34 11.7
13  Osi Umenyiora ATL 168 25 11.6
14  Elvis Dumervil BLT 234 32 11.6
15  Michael Bennett SEA 288 43 11.5

 

What about the new blood entering the league? Well if Anthony Barr had rushed the passer more than 83 times and maintained his production he’d be sitting pretty in joint fourth overall, such has been his ability to create quarterback disruption. While over in San Francisco it’s Aaron Lynch making a name for himself with a score of 10 that puts him in 28th place overall. That’s 13 spots ahead of Khalil Mack who is in 41st spot overall, still better than some big names (like Terrell Suggs and Cameron Jordan, for example) but a sign that as good as he’s been the fans are right to want a little more.

As ever, you can find the PFF Pass Rushing Productivity metric on the PFF Premium site along with all the grades, so if you’re interested in finding out how your favorite players compare, sign up today for 365 days of access.

 

Follow Khaled on Twitter: @PFF_Khaled

 

All Featured Tools

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit